The Secret Corner
by shadowhunterwithasouffle
Summary: From a childhood friendship to a blossoming love, Elsa never thought that the bright-eyed Prince Hans would have such a welcoming impact on her life of locked doors. However, the Queen of Arendelle soon learns that the man that brought her normalcy can become dangerous in the end - and that corruption is able to penetrate even the warmest of hearts. [Iceburns AU, 15 plus.]
1. The Corner

**So I wrote a cute little Christmas thing-a-ma-bob for fire!Hans and Elsa if they had met when they were children… I tried to keep all the headcanons from gel-du-cerveau on Tumblr out of my head, to keep it totally original, but her blog is a great source of my inspiration. This was supposed to be uploaded yesterday, but the site was down for login... But here ya go. Enjoy!**

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It's was Elsa's first Christmas ball, and she was excited as could be – but she couldn't help but be distracted by the red-haired boy in the corner with the sad green eyes.

She was seven now, growing up quicker than ever, but the bright holidays like Christmas in the castle were still exciting to her – the colorful lights, the swirling waltzes, the spinning of dresses and tailcoats as the adults pattered across the ballroom floor – but here she was, not paying attention to any of that. She was seven now, dressed in her winter blue church dress, sitting on the small throne next to her parents', and was wondering why the boy in the white suit looked so sad on _Juleaften_. It was supposed to be a happy time, the day before _Julenissen _came in the night and brought all the good little girls and boys gifts. So why did he look so solemn?

For once she was glad that Anna wasn't here to pester her; she had business to do. The child glanced up at her father and asked with a puerile gaze, "Father? May I go over to where the gingerbread treats are? I'm hungry."

Her light-haired father looked down at her with a hearty laugh. "Well, isn't my little girl growing up. Ready to walk through all these grown-ups all by herself. " With a ruffle of her bangs, he replied, "Of course, darling. Just be careful." Lightly he touched her hand, referencing the icy power that she was born with.

Elsa nodded happily, with a smile back. "I will! I promise!"

She hopped down from the tiny throne and scampered across the wooden floor, trying to be as regal as possible in her brisk walk. Occasionally she would have to dodge a skirt or two, or curtsy to the other royals who addressed her, but she was within eyeshot of the mysterious boy within minutes. He looked up from twiddling his fingers in his lap with surprise, hurriedly flinging himself into a deep bow.

"Good evening, Princess Elsa. _Glaedelig Jul_," he said quickly, his voice bright and airy. "My name is Prince Hans. Of the Southern Isles," he added as he righted himself with a small smile at the girl.

"It's nice to meet you, Hans. _Glaedelig Jul_ to you as well," Elsa replied with a curtsy. At she stood again, she reached over to the nearby refreshment table and picked out two gingerbread cookies, handing on to Hans as she stood beside him. "Why do you stand here, all by your lonesome? It's the night before Jul!"

The prince took the cookie with a shaky hand, taking a small bite before answering Elsa. "I… I, um, I'm not good at dancing…"

Elsa smiled slyly at him. Was that all he thought this ball was about? "Well, you don't have to dance… you could go talk to the other princes our age, over there!" She pointed briefly at the corner across the room, where a group of royal young boys were playing knights. "There's plenty to do other than dance."

"But… a few of my brothers are over there… I don't want to annoy them… and I don't want the other kids to be afraid of me." He let his now-empty hand hang at his side, his fingers moving in anxiety.

With a furrow of her brow, Elsa asked curiously, "Now why would they be afraid of you? You seem nice enough." Her gaze traveled down to his twitching fingers, and for the first time she noticed he was wearing gloves. Not the kind of gloves you would wear if it was cold, but the kind you would wear if you were much older, an adult at a formal event. And unless Hans was older than he looked… "And, i-if I may ask, why do you wear those gloves…?"

Hans looked up at her sharply, and Elsa drew an intake of breath as she locked eyes with him. She took a step back, trembling slightly. She was doing it again, getting into business she had no need to know. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"

"No, princess…" Hans lowered his gaze, "It's quite all right…"

An awkward silence ensued between them, as the waltz that was danced before them slowly turned into a gavotte. Elsa looked up at the chandelier above them, warming the room with its bright candles. She looked at Hans, who had gone back to rolling her hands in his lap again. She then looked at her own hands, ungloved and free, small ice crystals at her fingertips. What could Hans be hiding…?

"Elsa."

The princess jumped at the use of her name, sounding defeated from Hans' mouth. He should have said 'princess' but she was too shocked to chide him.

"Yes…?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

They locked eyes again, his wide but enigmatic, hers narrowed and slightly confused. Of course she could keep a secret – she had been keeping the secret of her ice powers from her kingdom her entire life. "If you have to tell me anything, I promise I will not breathe a word to anyone. Not even my mother and father. I… I can understand the power of secrets."

"…Okay." Hans, at this, quietly lifted the tablecloth and motioned for Elsa to go under first. With a furtive glance around the ballroom, the princess hurried under, the prince following right behind and letting the cloth float gently back to its normal position.

It was dark under the table as they sat with crossed legs touching, though not so dark as to where they couldn't see each other's faces. Gingerly, Hans removed each of his gloves and sat them to his right, as Elsa nervously adjusted her tiara. His hands seemed perfectly normal. Did what he had to show he come from inside him…?

As if on cue with Elsa's thoughts, Hans cupped his hands in front of her and made a small flame in his palms, right in front of her eyes.

Elsa gave a small gasp, her eyes alight with the red fire. "That's… amazing! You can create… actual fire!" She whispered, entranced by the dancing orange flare before her. From behind his hands, Elsa could see Hans's small smile brighten his already bright green eyes.

"You're the only one to ever say that. My parents… my parents tried to force this fire out of me… by horrible tortures I… don't want to describe…" He winced as he continued. "And my brothers, all twelve of them, treat me as if I'm a freak. Sometimes they even ignore me outright." He sighed, closing his hands as they were thrown back into darkness again. "And of course none of the kingdom knows this. What's even worse is that I'm the youngest brother… I'll have to deal with my brothers' torments until they all grow up and leave the Isles. So far only Anders has left and gotten married… he's the eldest." He looked up at Elsa, eyes brimming with tears from emotions that Elsa knew she could identify with. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, princess. No one understands me… and of course you—"

"No, Hans, but… I – I do understand!" She spluttered excitedly, leaning forward. Hans looked back at her, a crease in his brow.

"How…?"

Elsa only smiled, cupping her hands as he did and, feeling the cold rush through her veins, watched a snowball form in her waiting hands.

Now it was Hans's turn to gasp; his eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Elsa… you…?"

The eldest princess of Arendelle giggled. "See? I have magic too."

As Elsa lowered her hands and the snowball vanished, she continued her words. "I… I haven't suffered such horrors as you have, Hans, with your brothers and all… but I understand what it means to have this magic inside you, which you just want to share with everyone, but can't. My parents are accepting of my gift, as long as I keep it between them and my little sister, Anna. But sometimes I just want to show the kingdom who I really am. So yes, Hans." She patted his hand, still warm from his flame. "I completely understand what it means to be different. Your secret is safe with me."

The prince looked at her for a while, a grin slowly spreading onto his face. "T-Thank you, princess."

"Please, just call me Elsa. Because we're friends now, right?" Elsa gave a smile in return, glad to have finally cheered up the sad little boy in the corner.

With a slow nod, Hans replied, "Friends… of course, Elsa. We can be friends."

As they left the safety of being under the table together, Elsa felt her heart fill with light and happiness. She had found another person like her – full of magic that had to be kept secret from the eyes of their respective kingdoms. It was a good way to end the last few days of the Jul season, in Elsa's opinion. She felt a little less alone in the world – a little more like a regular princess. She hoped to see Hans again next year, when the snow fell from the sky and the bells rang across Arendelle. They'd make snowmen and build little fires together, away from the prying eyes of adults who were appalled and confused by the powers they carried in their souls. Maybe she would even bring Anna along.

Just before Elsa went to bed that night, she kneeled by her window with a candle at her side and prayed that Hans would have a good Christmas, with no mean parents or bullying brothers, and, that corners, for him anyway, would be a place of freedom instead of a place to hide.

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**Reviews are appreciated!**

**~Anais**


	2. Normalcy

**So I ended up making this story into a multi-chapter :) I really don't intend for it to be too long, maybe 6 chapters max. We'll see. I did use some lines straight from the movie in this chapter, which I got from the official Frozen script - you can find a link on my profile!**

**Enjoy the chapter! :)**

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Despite all of little Elsa's hopes, Hans didn't return to Arendelle next year for the Christmas ball, and neither did any of his brothers. It was only when she was older did she find out why – a minor trading issue between the two kingdoms that caused tension between her parents and Hans' —but she tried to not to forget him. That little boy who was so much like her, with a magic inside him that he had to keep hidden. Hans, though far away in the Southern Isles, made Elsa feel, for once, normal.

She tried not to let that feeling slip away.

But then the 'incident' came –

And it shattered like glass.

* * *

_A white streak in her sister's hair, her body ice cold._

"_MAMA! PAPA!"_

_Ice, jagged and menacing, spreading across the great hall like wicked flames._

"_You're okay, Anna… I got you…"_

_Her father's voice, like a knife upon her skin._

"_Elsa, what have you done? This is getting out of hand!"_

"_It was an accident! I'm sorry, Anna."_

* * *

Darkness consumed Elsa that day, taking any memories of normalcy with it.

From then on it was locked doors and cold rooms, conceal it, don't feel it, "But why can't I play with Anna?", "Because you're too dangerous, Elsa.", each day a little darker, a little more broken, five knocks and seven words, "The gloves will help.", conceal, don't feel it, "I don't want to hurt you!", her parents, washed away by a raging storm, grieving and freezing, conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel, don't feel, don't feel…

Before long, the little green eyed boy from her childhood was no more than a ghost in her memory. The arrival of a few of his brothers at later events in Arendelle once her parents died sometimes stirred a brief flicker or two, but not enough to distract her as he had that day.

And Elsa knew, just _knew,_ that as her cold, isolated life fell apart around her, no good memories from the past would ever heal her frozen heart.

Until her coronation ball.

That night that changed everything.

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"Well, he was sprightly."

"Especially for a man in heels… ow!"

Elsa laughed as her sister hopped on one foot next to her, trying to rub the other one with her free hand. The Duke of Weselton had certainly taken Anna for a spin, hadn't he? He was an interesting sort, that old man. It was nice to finally have someone to laugh at for a change – and with her sister beside her, as well. For the first time in a long time, things were actually going… normal.

Elsa took a brief glance at the ballroom before her as she stood at the head of the room. Swirling skirts, fanciful music, the clinking of glasses and the happy chattering of guests. She was truly thankful she had made it through the hard part of her coronation day alive – the passing of the orb and scepter, which she had almost frozen over, but the bishop finished speaking just in time – and now came on the night, where she didn't have to do much but look formal and smile at her guests. She felt a little proud of herself, for being able to keep her curse in check on the most important day of her life. Yes, everything was going great.

With a sigh that turned into a smile, she turned to her still-panting, but no longer hopping, sister. "Are you okay?"

The youngest princess gave a tired, yet happy, smile at the newly coronated queen. "I've… never been better. This is so nice… I wish it could be like this all the time…"

Without thinking, Elsa replied, "Me too…"

However, a sudden pain seized her chest at her sister's words fully sunk in; the queen's eyes trailed over the one white streak of hair in Anna's bun. The darkness came flooding back as she tensed and looked away from Anna, her arms folding over her middle. No, no, they could never go back to how it was before. She wished it could… "But it can't."

"Why not?" Came Anna's voice, sounding muffled, as if they were standing underwater. "If—"

"It just _can't,_" Elsa replied stiffly, her words very mean and harsh to her ears, her eyes not daring to look her sister's in the eye. If she even gave Anna an inkling of hope that they could interact again like they did as children, she wouldn't be able to bear it. Anna didn't understand, didn't remember, why they couldn't truly be sisters. And there was no need to egg her on tonight.

"Excuse me for a minute." Anna replied just as tersely, as she heard her sister stalk off.

Elsa raised her gaze to the dance floor, still having her hands wrapped around herself, a sigh escaping her lips. She wished, oh how she wished, they could just be happy again! But no – after the incident things changed, after their parents' deaths things changed. And they could never go back to how they used to be.

As if it would find her some comfort, the Queen of Arendelle stepped out onto the floor before her, weaving through the crowd with elegant grace, as the people before her parted like a sea to let her pass without interrupting the flow of the slow waltz. She could feel her heart beating madly inside her chest, her palms sweating with anxiety over being so close to so many people and, most importantly, over making Anna feel so worthless…

_I need to get outside. That's all. A bit of fresh air will do me some good; it'll clear my mind and I won't have to worry about –_

_THUMP._

Elsa gasped as she collided with the person in front of her, a tall man in a formal white suit accented by a gold vest and a red sash. She blinked, composing herself hurriedly by looking down and brushing off her dress. Here she was, her first day as queen, and making a fool of herself!

"Good sir, I apologize for my inattentiveness—"

"No, my lady, I was not looking where I was going, no need to apologize," he interjected, taking her gloved hand in his own – he wore gloves of the same color as his suit – and kissing it lightly. Elsa, still looking down, felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, and she slowly looked into his face.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Hans…?"

The name came out as only a breath, barely audible, quiet enough that she wasn't even sure that he had heard her. But as he righted himself and gazed right into her eyes, she could see that he was very shocked as well, his eyes wide as the sun and his brow furrowed.

"…Elsa…?"

Her name, spoken aloud by his strong tenor voice, sent a wave of memories over the queen. The corner, hiding them from prying eyes, where they had shown each other their true selves – of fire and of ice. His smile, her gasp, the way the darkness felt like freedom to their childish minds – all came rushing back. And she felt it again, that sense that she was not alone in this world, that she was not a monster, full of cold and hatred – it was so overpowering that, not of her own volition, she felt her arms wrap around him in a hug, and she felt seven years old again.

"You came back," she whispered, for only him to hear, her eyes dry despite the deluge of emotions rushing through her – happiness, liberty, friendship. "You came back, when I never thought you ever would. You came _back,_ Hans." And she kept repeating those three words, like a tether holding her to life, until he drew back from her and shook his head with a small smile and a chuckle.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Queen Elsa. It has been far too long." He fell into a deep bow, much like he had all those years ago. His eyes looked up at her from his bent over position, as if to say,_ Be formal, Elsa._

"Oh! Yes." Catching the hint, she curtsied to him, bowing her head. "Prince Hans. It has been far too long indeed."

At that moment, the music swirled into a fanciful waltz, and the silence that Elsa hadn't noticed until then became a pattering tap of heels and boots. Elsa giggled slightly as the two of them rose in unison, Hans' laugh soon mingling with hers.

"We really made a showstopper, didn't we, Hans?" She commented, nervously adjusting her crown.

"Indeed we did, Elsa, indeed we did." The prince extended a gloved hand asked her calmly, green eyes alight, "Now, my lady, if I may ask – may I have this waltz?"

At another impulse, Elsa took the hand before her, her mind still spinning with the reality of the man in front of her. Yes, this was the little boy in the corner, back again. "You may."

They settled into position, with one of her hands on his shoulder and one of his hands at her waist, their free hands clasped to the side as their feet moved to a one-two-three beat, slowly joining the circle of party guests and royals that circumvented the room. They moved in silence, slightly awkward, not really ever meeting each other's eyes. Elsa, honestly, was still embarrassed; she had hugged him, a near stranger, in front of everyone, and now rumours would circle around. She couldn't tell what Hans was feeling, on the other hand; all she could see was that he was blushing something fierce.

Finally the prince broke the silence by saying, "So, Elsa. I see you wear gloves now as well…"

With a lamentable sigh, Elsa nodded, the memory of that day threatening to break from its cage in her mind. "Yes. I do. Something happened with Anna when we were children and… I couldn't trust myself with," her voice lowered to a whisper, "with my powers anymore."

"Ah, my apologies." He smiled at her, not unkindly. "Was this 'something' the cause of the white streak in her hair? I met your sister earlier and meant to ask her about that."

"Yes, yes it is. When did you get time to talk to Anna?" Elsa asked, curiously changing the subject. "With all the hustle and bustle of my coronation and all…"

"Only by chance. She happened to fall into a boat by the fjord just as I was passing by on my horse." Hans chuckled again. "Is she always so clumsy?"

"When is she ever not clumsy?" Elsa replied, a small laugh following, and their conversation petered back into silence again. It was hard to keep up a talkative banter, because of all the ears listening and eyes watching. As they waltzed by the balcony, Elsa slipped out of the circle and, letting Hans go, looked toward the doors. "Want to go outside? We can be a little more comfortable."

As she looked back towards him, Hans was already nodding and taking her hand. "I never thought you'd ask. Let us go."

With a quick scan of the crowd, Elsa turned away from her celebration and went out into the summer night.

* * *

Before the door could even close behind them, Hans had Elsa wrapped in a tender hug, his chin on the top of her head.

Elsa gasped for probably the third time that day, the wind blowing and tickling her ears. Now that they were out of the sight of the party guests, Elsa figured Hans was ready to let his emotions flow – the same ones she had felt earlier. "Hans, I—"

"You don't know how badly I've wanted to see you again since that day," Hans interjected, his voice breaking. "You made me feel like a human being, Elsa, and I always wanted to get back to that feeling, always… I wanted to come back for the next Christmas ball. But then, that trade misunderstanding happened between our countries and my parents got upset and cut off relations for a while. But you already know that." Elsa swore he heard him stifle a sob.

"But then why didn't you return when relations were restored? Your brothers started to come back Arendelle's balls when I was thirteen. Where were you?" Elsa leaned into the hug, wrapping her arms around his slender back and resting her cheek on his chest, eyes toward the moon. "I waited for you, but you never came."

"It was because of the fire." Hans released her and put his hands on shoulders briefly before letting his grip go limp, gaze unfocused on any particular thing. "One day when I was ten, I grew angry at my older brother Adrian, because he had broken my favorite wooden sword. I was gloveless at the time – I had stopped wearing them out of defiance. This proved to be deadly because I…burned…" He winced, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away from Elsa slightly. "Let's just say the west wing is charred black and Adrian won't ever be able to see again."

"Oh, Hans… that's… horrible." Gingerly, she put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what it means to hurt someone you love…"

"But I didn't love him. I hated him. All of them. My brothers never saw me as equal – they saw me as demon spawn, just like the priests did, just like everyone did." Hans clenched his fists, angry fire already starting to burn away his silken gloves. "My parents thought I was possessed by some sort of demon since I first started to burn, and ever since that day, their suspicions were 'confirmed' – and they did everything to get it out of me, more so than before. Herbs that would make me sick, burning crosses onto my chest, shoving me into freezing cold storage closets, exorcisms – oh, the exorcisms." He gave a cold bark of a laugh. "Sometimes I would scream and writhe under the priests' hands just to make them think they were getting something done."

Elsa could feel his body shaking under her hand, and she removed it very slowly. Hans's horrid words seeped into her brain and made her feel numb inside. Compared to all the horrors he had been through, Elsa's years of mere isolation were nothing. She had to admit… she felt sorry for him.

"Sometimes I'd think about you, Elsa. Not too often, but when things got really bad and I needed to be reassured that I was not alone, I'd think about you and your ice and… I'd feel more human… You know, they say, the longer you hear a lie you begin to believe it?" Hans had walked toward the balcony railing as he talked, resting his arms on the bar. Elsa made a noise of assent to his question as she walked up next to him.

"Well," he turned to her again sheepishly, "When things got really bad, and I felt hopeless, I began to believe that I really was possessed by a demon, and there was nothing I could do about it. But you, Elsa—" He poked her lightly, "You were that little figment of my mind that reminded me I was some semblance of normal."

"Me?"

"You."

There was silence again, but less awkward this time. Elsa smiled at Hans, mulling over her thoughts in her head. The prince was treated so badly back at his home. _I_ _mean, exorcisms! How desperate are his parents?,_ Elsa thought with a slight shake of her head. She looked at the prince, really looked at him; those green eyes were sadder than ever and his mouth turned down into a small frown. Even that cute little pointy nose didn't brighten up his face. She wanted him to be happy. _Everyone deserves a chance to be happy, even if for a moment._

Elsa had an idea. She wasn't sure Anna would like it, but she had an idea.

"Hans."

"Hm?" He looked up at her, bright-eyed, removing his now fingerless gloves.

"Would you like –" She sighed, rolled her hands in her lap, started again. "What would you say if I told you that you are welcome to stay here in Arendelle as an honored guest?"

Hans blinked at the queen. Once. Twice. Elsa began to grow nervous for his answer, and as if in reply, the foliage around her became blanketed with frost. Yes or no? What would he say?

"…By Jove, yes."

Elsa nodded regally, unable to think of much else to do. She felt strangely protective over this man, who was alike and unlike her in so many ways. She was sure they would get along quite well. "This is for your safety, Hans. I don't want you to suffer for the lies your parents believe."

"…Thank you, Elsa." Hans smiled a final time at her, those pearly white teeth gleaming by the light of the moon, those green eyes happy again. "Thank you ever so much."

* * *

"Elsa?"

_Knock-knock._

"Hm?" Elsa looked up from where she sat on her bed brushing her hair, the candle on her nightstand flickering. "Anna?"

"Yeah. It's me. Can you come out? I want to talk... about Hans."

Elsa put down the brush hurriedly at her words, landing on bare feet, her nightdress giving a _floomph _around her calves as she put on her gloves again and crossed the room to the door. That wording of Anna's question wasn't odd for her – the sisters still clung to the long-forged habit of not entering each other's rooms. When they wanted to talk, which wasn't often, they talked in the hallway. And a servant was always keeping an eye on Elsa.

And Anna wanted to talk about Hans? She wouldn't normally open the door for Anna, but this – this was special circumstances. The Isles prince had already been settled into a guest room, with his things from his home already on a ship to Arendelle. So what could she be worried about?

The white-haired queen flung open the door with a creak, looking into Anna's waiting face while closing it behind her. "What about Hans?"

"It's just…" Anna stepped back to give her sister room, her red hair still in its fancy bun, her eyes darting left and right. "You just met and all, and you two seem so close after spending only a few hours together—"

"We met when we were children, Anna. You weren't at that ball, you were too young." Elsa blurted, slightly defensive. "Is that all? Then I'm going to bed." _Anna, why bother me over something petty like this? It's not your business—_

"No, it's not all." Anna reiterated, staring hard into Elsa's eyes. "You look at him like you're going to get married tomorrow or something, and you don't even give a glance at me most days! Elsa, I'm just—"

"Anna, I don't want to talk about it." Elsa cut her off again, her voice shaking. "I'm not getting married to anyone, especially Hans, until I get to know the person better, and… goodness, Anna!" She threw he hands in the air, exasperated. "For the last time, you won't understand if I tell you. Things can't go back to normal, they just can't."

"I'm _eighteen_, Elsa!" Anna shouted, her voice rising an octave and her foot slamming on the ground. "Eighteen! And you say I won't understand? Tell me why we can't just be sisters again!"

Elsa felt her anger spike, her need to lash out at Anna and tell her she was the eldest, she had to listen to what she was saying grow like weeds. But she reminded herself of her mantra: _Conceal. Don't feel. Put on a show. _"Good night, Anna."

"Wait! El—"

Elsa went back in her room and slammed the door, sliding down her doorframe and letting the tears come like a waterfall.

_You're a monster. A monster that can't even bear to face her sister's questioning, a cold-hearted queen of ice with no warmth inside. A selfish, spineless girl who can't even give her sister the time of day. You're a freak, an abomination. You can't feel. Can't feel anything._

_But Hans._

_Only he can make me feel…_

_Actually feel…_

_Normal._

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**Reviews are appreciated!**

**~Anais**


	3. Fire and Ice

**I don't have much to say about this chapter, honestly. It's full of fluff and a major plot point at the end. :) Enjoy!**

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_~4 months later~_

The air was extremely tense at dinner that night.

Not that it was anything new to Elsa. Relations between her and Hans were fine – better than fine, actually; she thought she was starting to feel more than friendship for him – but Hans and Anna were not getting along as well as she had expected. The prince had tried to be as kind and gentle as possible to Anna, but the princess had brushed him off every time with a distant yet cordial remark. The queen could only wonder why Anna was acting so – _well, immature, and even jealous, _she thought with a chortle. Hans wasn't the problem – Anna was. Elsa stood by her opinion on her sister that she had had for years – _she's too young to understand._

As Elsa spooned some tilapia onto her fork, Hans, sitting next to her, reached for her other hand under the table. She graciously took it, as his thumb rubbed her palm soothingly. There was another thing about Hans she liked – not only was he gracious, but alert to her ever-changing feelings. Her nervousness had spiked at the thought of Anna, and he reacted quick as a cat to her emotions.

And all the while, Anna was staring daggers at Hans across the food before them as she pushed her meal around her plate in a faux show of eating. Elsa pretended not to notice.

"Hans, if I may ask," the queen began, placing her fork down and looking up into the man's face, "Do you think we could go through that last set of your things today? I can't wait to see what's inside."

"Of course. I think I've kept you waiting long enough," he replied, smiling at her and tapping her on the nose. Elsa giggled, a blush rising on her face. She had to admit – she was excited to see what was in the little trunk. When Hans' belongings had arrived a week after she had taken him in, he unpacked everything with help from castle staff save for one 'special' trunk that he wanted to open when the two of them were alone. She figured, after four months of getting to know each other, tonight was as good as any.

"Wonderful! I can't wait t—"

"Excuse me, Queen Elsa, Prince Hans. I'll be heading off to bed."

Before Elsa could even look up, Anna was out the room's door with a slam.

Elsa sighed, staring longingly after Anna's wake. "I wish she wasn't so childish about this."

"I do as well, Elsa." Hans wrapped an arm around the queen, rubbing her shoulder gently. "But she's merely jealous – she doesn't understand what it means to be in love yet. But she'll come around. Give her time."

"In love…" Elsa whispered, her dinner forgotten, her mind dizzy with thoughts of the lovely man beside her. She was in love, wasn't she? The two had sock-skated down the hall together, shared a few wonderful nights of cuddling, spent hours on an elative game of chess over tea – and not once had she been bored or disillusioned by Hans. There was always more to learn about him. That he was never a fan of peppers in his food, that he had a way with a quill and pen, that he never learned how to ride a horse until he was thirteen because of his fear of heights. Hans was the most interesting person she'd even met – and with blazing powers to counter her own, he fit perfectly into her life.

"Yes, darling." Hans tilted her chin so that their eyes met, his jade gaze warm and sleepy from the glass or two of wine he'd had at dinner. "I think 'in love' is the way to put it."

Anna long put out of her mind, Elsa kissed him on the cheek with a smile, his fiery sideburns tickling her nose. "And I am grateful."

* * *

Elsa bounced happily on Hans' bed, her white braid flopping against her nightshift, as Hans slowly pulled the trunk out from under the bed. She nearly fell scrambling down to the floor as she sat with the trunk at her crossed legs. Hans sat on the other side of it, a mischievous smile forming on his face, lit by the candle behind Elsa on the nightstand.

"Ready?" said the prince.

"More than I'll ever be!"

Strong hands flung open the trunk with a flurry of dust, causing the both of them to cough as the gray flakes settled. Hans turned the trunk to the side so that they could both look in it together. It was filled with an assortment of brick-à-brac items, from teapots to fancy forks, books to scarves.

"You certainly have a… large collection of things there, Hans." Elsa remarked, her excitement level dropping. "Is this everything?"

"Well, the trivial items were just put in here to fill up space," Hans answered, bundling the breakables in his arms and setting them aside. "My mother never liked to send a trunk half-empty. All my things are underneath."

And as the layers of kettles and fabric removed, Elsa carefully watched as more personal items began to appear. A leather-bound diary, a locket, a family painting. Elsa picked up this painting, though small, but encompassing the entirety of Hans' family – his ginger mother with an infant Hans in arms, his blonde father, and twelve brothers of varying sizes and hair colors.

"Do any of your brothers have powers like yours?" Elsa asked, unsure if she had questioned him before.

A terse 'no' from Hans, and that was the end of it.

Following, the diary found its way to Elsa's hands. She flipped through it briefly – most of it was filled with angry drawings of who knew what more so than writing, but she didn't bother to ask Hans about it. She glanced up at him as she rummaged around in the trunk to find another item – he was deeply involved in reading another journal of his, his brow furrowed. Yes, best not to disturb him.

They sat like this for at least an hours into the night, going through Hans' things, Elsa sometimes asking him about a certain object. As midnight approached, the Queen felt like she had a little more insight of the simple things in Hans' life – the faces of his family, his artistic 'ability', a general idea of what the Isles and his castle looked like – but she also began to grow tired, and she struggled to keep her eyes open as she set down yet another painting. Leaning back against the nightstand behind her, she let her eyes drift closed for a mere moment…

_It won't hurt to take a quick nap, right? It's not like Hans is waiting on me or anything…_

* * *

"Elsa? Elsa, love, wake up. I have to show you something."

Slowly, the queen's eyes floated open, and a sleepy sigh escaped her lips. The blossoming couple was shrouded in darkness, the candle behind them having long gone out. Her eyes flitted to the clock on the back wall of the room – one-thirty in the morning. _Hans must have been really deep in memory over his… stuff…_

"Yes, Hans…" Elsa murmured, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. Rubbing her eyes, she continued, "What is it?"

Hans only smiled at her, holding something between his clasped hands. When he opened them, on his peachy palms rested a simple ring, the band golden and the jewel in the center a pale blue color. "This is my mother's wedding ring. I… I never thought I would she would send this along with everything else, but here it is…"

"It's beautiful," the queen remarked, her eyes barely focusing on the ring itself and her mind starting to slip back into her dreams. Hans had seriously woken her up for a _ring_ that he could have shown her in the morning? "…Can I go back to sleep now?"

Hans chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Not yet, love. I have something very important to ask you."

"Whaaaat…" Elsa blubbered, her head falling forward with drowsiness, but before she knew it Hans had taken his hands and began to help her stand – she could feel the ring on his palm pressing against her side. "I don't wanna stand, Haaaaaans," she complained, rubbing her eyes again. "I wanna go to beeeeed."

But she was on her two feet now, however unsteady. She forced herself to look at Hans, who was smiling sweetly down at her, his warm cheeks a dull shade of pink, his arms wrapped around her to keep her upright.

"Can you stand now?"

"Uh-huh…"

Then Hans did something that shocked Elsa out of her stupor: he let go of her and, getting down on one knee, held the ring aloft in his palm.

She gasped, unable to react in any other means. _There is no way he's proposing, not now! No way…_

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," he began softly, looking up into her bright blue eyes. "After four long months together, I feel that I have never loved a woman more than I have ever loved you. I love your smile, your grace, the way your nose scrunches up when you laugh. You are always there for me, sweet Elsa; I know I can always count on you to be right by my side, in the easiest and toughest of decisions. And, because of that, I must ask you these five words: Will you marry me?"

Elsa, in all her time as queen, had disputed trading issues, resolved months-long civil cases, traveled abroad to huge foreign countries to elicit relations between them and Arendelle – all very weighty tasks for a ruler. But marriage?

That was the hugest commitment yet.

Tears rolled down her face, joyful tears, as she stared at the ring, at Hans's awaiting face, at her own frost-laden fingers.

"Yes, Hans," she finally said, gazing into his eyes, her voice breaking from emotions. "I wouldn't answer any other way."

"Oh, Elsa!" The prince, overjoyed, lifted Elsa into his arms bridal-style and kissed her, pulling back for only a moment to slip the band on her left ring finger. It glittered in the moonlight, the aquamarine jewel the perfect accent to Elsa's eyes. The queen put her free hand to her mouth in shock, happiness flowing through her veins.

"It's perfect."

"As are you, love."

He leaned down for another kiss and Elsa took it gently, deepening the kiss slowly as Hans ran a hand over her back. His breath was hot against her face, it smelling of long-drunk wine and apples; his hand was singeing her gown and the skin under it from his fiery power and the ferocity of the kiss, but she paid no mind to it. The queen had never felt so happy, even on the day she was coronated. She was going to be married – actually married! – to the man who kept her grounded, kept her whole, kept her human.

Ice and fire began to mingle together across the room's walls, chasing after each other in time with the heightening emotions of the two lovers. And as they fell against the bed's side together, freezing and burning and forming their lips as one, everything was all right in Elsa's little world.

And she would let no one, not even jealous Anna, take that feeling away from her.

* * *

**Reviews are appreciated! :)**

**~Anais**


	4. The Beginning of Forever

**I'm not going to lie - this chapter was a struggle, that's why it took me basically 8 hours to write/edit/proofread it. The ending was especially hard to manage and still keep at a T rating - you'll see why when you get there.**

**Also, a fair warning - from here on out, this story will become a more mature: for example, alcohol use, violence, moderate emotional turmoil/abuse, and mild language, but without crossing into dangerous territory. So if you are sensitive to anything mentioned above, please leave this fic now - it only gets worse from here. When I said "dark" Iceburns AU, I wasn't kidding!**

**Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

_~1 month later~_

Elsa awoke in her bed to an autumn-chilled room, a plethora of blankets snuggled around her, a few rays of sunlight streaming in the window, and her fiancée's warm bare chest at her side. The queen breathed out slowly, pulling up her nightshift to her collarbone and pulling down her blankets in two fluid motions. Her eyes gazed at the glittering engagement band on her left ring finger as she did so, and she smiled – finally realizing that the last month, from the proposal to the final wedding preparations, had not been the product of some fantasy or dream.

She was getting married tomorrow…

And she still hadn't told Anna.

With a groan, Elsa realized she would have to tell her today, no matter how afraid she was of what Anna might say. That was the reason, really, she had kept the news from Anna for so long – she was terrified of what her sister's reaction would be to the agreed matrimony between the two regents. And it was no easy task, keeping the youngest princess out of the castle and away from Arendelle for a whole four weeks as a way to silence her nerves.

Elsa had only done so at Hans' suggesting. She wouldn't want to keep such a big secret from Anna, but since she was so nervous, Hans had stepped right up to the plate and thrown out the idea that maybe, just maybe, Elsa could send Anna away for a while if she really was that worried?, and she had replied, yes, yes, my love, that's a wonderful idea. And a mere few hours later, Anna was on a boat, against her will and asking questions, to a trade conference in the Eastern Kingdom, just as the bells announcing the queen's engagement rang throughout Arendelle.

And here it was, the morning before she tied the knot, the morning when Anna returned from her fifth trip that month, an emissary mission to the Southern Isles, and the morning where Elsa slightly regretted her decision.

A little bit. Not much. Anna would be mad, but she couldn't afford to worry about that now.

"…mmmm…'lsa, love, ya awake?" Hans murmured sleepily from beside her, shifting his position so that he lay on his side.

Elsa turned as well, her eyes tracing over the myriad cross-shaped burns across his chest before meeting his sleepy green eyes. She absentmindedly ran her finger over the shapes as she replied, "Yes, very much so. Ready to go meet Anna down at the dock? I don't want to keep her waiting too long."

"Are you finally going to tell her?" Hans asked with a grin, grabbing her moving hand as they traveled across his chest together. "You really don't have much choice, do you; tomorrow we'll be wed."

"Of course I'll tell her today. She won't be too happy about it though. I… you know, sometimes I don't even understand why we sent her away. Her reaction would have been the same whether we had told her the following morning or two hours before I walk down the isle. Hurt, confused, and left out."

"We didn't tell her right away, Elsie, because the longer we waited, the less time it would give her to talk you and the servants out of it." He grunted as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on his brown casual shirt from the floor and slipping it on as he talked. "Anna's got a way with words, I've noticed. She would've convinced you into something you truly didn't believe…" Leaning over the bed, he stole a kiss from his future wife with a goofy smile. "…And we definitely don't want that."

As he drew back, Elsa felt her lips turn up into a smile much like his own. "No, no we don't, dear."

She bounded from the bed and went over to her closet, pulling out a simple royal blue gown with golden accents around the collar and waist from among the many others, as she heard Hans open the door to go to his own chambers.

"Think about it," he said quietly, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "By tomorrow night we will be sharing a room... and we can truly be together…"

With a happy sigh, she turned, the dress tight in her arms, as she looked over her love one last time before he left. He looked so cheerful, a small smile on his face as he stood in the threshold of her room, his eyes alight with the sunlight from the hallway, his thick ginger locks framing his chiseled face. She wondered, ever so briefly, if their marriage would be the happiest day of his life, after such an enduring childhood. She hoped it would be. He deserved it.

"Yes… tomorrow is the beginning of forever."

* * *

The couple sauntered down to the dock arm in arm just as the small ship came into port. Elsa nervously watched the ship arrive – she could feel ice crystals forming under her black gloves and she clung to Hans tighter, her hand snaking down her side to grab his. His hand grew warmer in reaction to her feelings as they laced fingers, and the queen exhaled calmly, her heartbeat slowing as she watched her breath mingle with the cold air. Hans always knew how to placate her, and, right now, she really needed it.

The wind blew softly as the boat let down its ramp and Hans and Elsa stood at the wooden plank that was the dock. Looking up, Elsa saw Anna, with two guards carrying suitcases, appear over the hull of the ship. Her sister looked tired and frustrated, her ginger hair done in one messy braid instead of two, like she had not had the time to do her hair properly before arriving, and the dark circles under her eyes prominent. Elsa sighed lamentably, as a little more regret chilled her bones.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle," the shipmaster, who had been standing near the dock in preparation, announced as the trio landed. He, the guards, and the crew still on the ship all bowed at this proclamation, whilst Anna only huffed, grabbed her bags and stormed off away from the attention.

"Anna—" Elsa began as her sister passed, but Anna only spat at a terse "We need to talk. _Now._" before continuing on her way, down the dock, across the landing, and up the stairs into the village that led to the castle.

"Oh, Anna. Will she never learn to control her anger?" Hans remarked, as Elsa gazed after her sister sadly, making no comment in return.

_I'm so sorry, Anna…_

Without even knowing why, Elsa broke away from Hans and started to run.

* * *

Elsa found Anna, not surprisingly, in her room. It felt strange, being in her sister's room after having not entered it for so long, but here she was, among her sister's pink canopy bed, her myriad books, and – most alarming at the moment – her anger.

As the door slammed behind them, Anna's voice pounced on Elsa like a wild jungle cat as the ginger stood with her hands balled in fists. "Alright, Elsa, no more games. I'm so sick and _tired _of you sending me off places without telling me why! And for a whole month too…" Anna shut her eyes tightly, and her next words came out in barely a whisper. "I want the truth, and I want it _now_."

"Well…" Elsa cleared her throat, wringing her hands in her lap nervously. "It's a bit hard to explain—"

"_Now,_ Elsa!"

The queen jumped at the change in Anna's tone, and, shocked out of her wits, she blurted, "I'm getting married."

Silence fell between the two sisters for what seemed like hours to Elsa. Her nerves spiked almost immediately and she felt the frost begin to appear on her gloves and boots, heard her heart ramming into her chest like a hammer, saw her vision blur as Anna exhaled very, very slowly, her hands clenching and unclenching like a killer preparing to strike.

And it was more terrifying than if Anna had yelled at her.

"…When?"

"Tomorrow..."

"Oh my _god,_" Anna cried, her voice sounding much like a roar. A dainty hand ran down her face as a rougher exhale came, the youngest princess still scarily calm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I was afraid." Elsa admitted, her voice beginning to shake." I was afraid of how you w-would react, c-considering you don't like H-Hans all that much…"

"Elsa, you know I would have accepted your decision, no matter how crazy it is. I'm your _younger_ sister, for crying out loud! I have no choice but to accept! What did you think I would do, tell you no?" The placid façade was fading away as Anna gave a sharp laugh, but Elsa's ears were ringing with the sound of one word Anna had uttered, every sentence after that not settling in her mind at all.

_No matter how crazy it is._

_Crazy?_

_My decision isn't crazy—_

"It's not crazy. It's not. I love him." Elsa was shaking, trembling all over with newfound anger, her gloves fully covered with chilling frost, her teeth gritted, her brow furrowed. She glared down at her feet, unwilling to look Anna in the eye. _How dare Anna insult me like that, how dare she! _"You just don't understand. You can _never _understand."

_How dare she, how dare she, HOW DARE SHE! The little runt, she's so close-minded and she never liked him anyway, now she goes and calls my decision CRAZY? I won't have it; I won't have ANY of it!_

"Are you listening to me at all, Elsa? I'm perfectly okay with you marrying… Hans… well, maybe not perfectly okay, but I completely understand why…" Anna trailed off, leaving only the angry pounding of Elsa's own heart in her ears. "Brr… Is it getting colder in here…?"

Only then did Elsa break free of the spell of her own emotions, noticing the jagged ice curling around her feet and the pointy frosted spikes jutting out from Anna's walls. She gasped, taken aback by her own power, her heart pounding a million miles a minute at the realization that she had taken her feelings too far – again. Her eyes snapped up to Anna, who had her arms wrapped around herself, and, to her surprise, wasn't looking at the ice contortions that had taken over her room; she was looking at Elsa. And _smiling._

"Look, sis." Anna sighed, taking a few steps forward. "I… I'm sorry for making such a big deal over this, okay? I mean… yes, you probably should have told me earlier, but I understand why you didn't… because of Hans. I mean, I don't like him..." She shrugged with a chuckle. "… But maybe I should just loosen up a little, huh? You're in love; I bet you don't want to deal with an annoying little sister at the moment."

"Anna, that's—"

"I know," Anna retorted, "'That's not true,' you'll say. But it is. And you have every right to believe as such." She stepped a little closer, but Elsa was rooted to her spot, enraptured by the outcome of this conversation. Anna was actually accepting this – it proved that years of separation had made the sisters total strangers to each others' true personalities. Anna? She was docile as a baby deer, so much so that it was making Elsa feel as if she was in a dream.

She and Hans were getting married, and Anna was _okay_ with it.

"I'm being selfish, an attention seeker… and I'm sorry. I'll let you and Hans have your happiness. And I won't worry about bothering you anymore, even after the wedding. If that's what you want. I get it." The smile Anna wore turned sad, as tears ran down her face. "Things can never go back to how they used to be."

Elsa was stunned into silence. No, that wasn't what she wanted – Elsa wanted them to be sisters, really and truly she did! She looked at her trembling hands as the ice below her feet started to slowly melt. Everything in her life revolved around her icy powers. When she got up in the morning, she put on the gloves. She could never get upset; her powers would spiral out of control, as they had just done. And worst of all – these powers were destroying her relationship with Anna, tearing them apart on the secrets Elsa kept and the false memories Anna remembered.

She wanted to scream the truth at Anna. She wanted to tell her, "Anna, I want to be sisters again, but we can't because of my powers that hurt you so long ago," and she would reveal to her the snow the lay in her veins and they would build snowmen again and there would be no more secrets between them, no more lies, and they'd open the gates permanently, and with Anna and Hans by her side, who would be afraid of the snow queen and her dangerous magic? No one. Everything would be just like it used to.

All she had to do was tell Anna the real story behind their separation.

But her heart seized up, looking at Anna's defeated, saddened posture. The girl stood hunched over, crying, staring at her feet.

She could make her sister stop crying. She could.

But Elsa was a coward, her mind caught in a dangerous spiral of counterfactual reasoning and paranoia.

_What if Anna thinks I'm a freak? What if, after I tell her this she doesn't believe me? What if she thinks I'm crazy, and I get put in the dungeons, and she kills Hans to become queen? What if what if what if what if—_

Elsa made a noise like a scared animal, her mind spinning and her veins burning and everything was so _cold—_

She ran. Out of Anna's room, down the hallway, past her room, and into Hans', where she nearly knocked him over as she crossed the threshold where he was standing, barreling her way into his chest and sobbing a full on ugly cry, staining her dress and his coat with her tears.

"Love, what's wrong, what's –"

"I _can't!_" She screamed, clinging to him like an angry child, sending wild streaks of frost up his back as she dug her hands into his coat. "I'm so scared, Hans, so scared, I want to tell Anna about my powers, because she doesn't remember them, and it hurts me every time I have to shut her out because I'm _terrified_ of hurting her, and just now she said that she knew that things couldn't go back to normal and she accepted it like it was nothing, and I just couldn't take it because I knew she was hurting, I _knew_ she just wanted to be sisters again but I'm such a coward and I could say a word to make her feel better and –" She broke off, her voice catching in her own sobs. She could feel the frost screaming from her body and turning the room into a frozen wasteland, but she didn't care. She had, finally, lost the trust and love of the only family she had left. Anna had given up on her. Who could she turn to other than the love of her life? "I hate this damned curse, I hate it! I wish I was just normal…"

But Hans was shushing her soothingly and picking her up, carrying her over to his bed and lying down with her, throwing the blankets over them so that they made a little cave. Elsa, still shaking and crying, curled up and put her head against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. It calmed her, but only a little. She still felt like the most despicable person in the world.

"Elsa, sweetheart," Hans began, resting his chin on top of the queen's white locks. "I'm sorry, but you are not normal, and no amount of wishing can change that. And… no amount of wishing can change Anna either. Really, I'm glad you didn't reveal your powers to her. Siblings can be dangerous, love, and I'm sure, once she knows of the real you, Anna will become no different than my brothers. She will treat you like a monster."

"Anna's different," Elsa pleaded weakly, Hans' words already starting to mold themselves into her brain. Maybe he was right…

"You may think that. But I don't want you to try and find out. Let's keep our fire and ice between the two of us, okay?"

Sniffling, Elsa nodded and didn't try to argue. Anna was a sweet girl; but Hans had some truth to his speculation. Things could all change if Anna discovered the real power behind the cold-hearted queen. She snuggled closer to him, and Hans pulled her tighter in response, the heat radiating off his body making her feel drowsy and warm. It was nice, to feel as if she was floating away, no responsibilities, no pressures. "Okay… and tomorrow we'll be married…"

"Just think about that. Don't let Anna get in the way of your happiness."

She nodded again, struggling to keep her eyes open. Crying had taken all the energy out of her and all she wanted to do was go back to bed. "I'm sleepy, Hans…"

"Then sleep, darling. Dream about the bells that will ring tomorrow, and the sweet kisses I'll give you when we are wed. Everything will be alright."

As he kissed her on the head, Elsa fell into an equally peaceful and fitful sleep, feeling truly comfortable for the first time in another's arms.

* * *

Most of the wedding day had passed like a dream for Elsa. She awoke drowsily, having slept most of the previous day after her tiff with Anna, and was barely alert as her maidservants rushed and flittered around her, dressing her in a gorgeous yet simple silver long-sleeved wedding dress with a ruffled train, her hair done up in a milkmaid braid. She barely ate any breakfast before the procession, leaving her not only tired but also slightly hungry when she walked down the isle in the castle's church, the royal tailor at her side in place of her father. Vows and rings were exchanged brightly, but only when Hans, clad in a white suit and bowtie, removed the veil from its place over her face did the spell held over her break, as her soon-to-be husband's face became laden with tears of joy.

"You may kiss the bride," said the priest solemnly, and Hans wasted no time taking Elsa into his arms and kissing her deeply, just like he had on the night of his proposal. And Elsa felt happy again, felt normal again, felt at peace with the world in the arms of her beloved; and as cries of "Long Live the Queen and King of Arendelle!" along with the singing of the national anthem followed the newly married couple out of the chapel doors, her heart soared with the excitement of their first night in the same sleeping chambers.

She barely noticed that Anna wasn't even there.

* * *

The reception came and went. Wine was drunk, food was eaten, goodbyes were said and by eleven that night the young couple was left alone in their new master suite, originally belonging to Elsa's parents, but the room had been renovated especially for this evening – when they would consummate their marriage.

The bed was huge, taking up most of the space of the immaculate room, covered with many thick blankets, and sheltered by a canopy of netted silk. An empty painting frame hung above the bed, waiting for the painting of Elsa and Hans as the new rulers to be placed inside it. A small fire roared in the fireplace, warming the room with a romantic air.

Elsa entered the chamber first, giggling like a madwoman and spinning herself around and around until she flopped on the bed, which immediately became frosty with her unchecked powers. She would admit, she had drunk a few more glasses than she normally would at a party, thanks to her husband.

And who else would saunter in next than the new king himself, who was practically tripping over his own feet as he flopped next to Elsa, the fire roaring higher at the presence of the man. He had drank at least one or two bottles, and it certainly was showing – not a second passed from when he landed on the bed until he was on Elsa, kissing her like crazy and breathing heavily, the room soon filled with the smell of alcohol from Hans' breath.

"This, this day righ' here, this day was the besssssst," he slurred against her lips, kissing her deeply again. "Yer gonna get me everythin' I want an' more, 'cuz you're the besssst, Elsaaaaaa."

Elsa fell into giggles again between kisses, drinking him in, only stopping to talk. "You're the best too, Hans. The besty-est." This sent her into another fit of giggles, and then Hans started roaring with laughter, finally rolling off of her while Elsa giggled herself to a tomato red face.

"I'm- I'm- I'm- I'm gonna be a king, the best king in alllllllll of Air-en-dell…" He continued, trailing off as his wife's giggle fit subsided. Elsa looked at her love through drunken, yet loving eyes. This was the man she had chosen to love for the rest of her life. And, even though now his hair was mussed from inebriation and his face was sweaty as a dog's, she knew he would be an excellent ruler.

And she wanted him. Wanted all of him, right that moment.

Elsa, taking the lead, flung herself on Hans, dragging him backwards to the edge of the bed while kissing him madly. She helped him remove his coat and shirt, and their clothing was thrown to the floor, long forgotten; all layers were cast aside and truly loved each other for the first time.

The fire roared in the grate and the ice sprang up the walls in celebration, rejoicing in the passions of the two lovers, becoming one at last, while the autumn moon shone bright upon the jubilating kingdom that they could now, finally, call their own.

* * *

**See why the ending was hard? *sighs* I even had to get help from a friend on editing it. Really, the pre-edit version of the ending paragraphs wasn't that far of a cry from what you see here (it was nothing detailed, I promise! :D), but I just felt a need to tone it down a smidge. **

**Anyway, reviews are appreciated!**

**~Anais**


	5. Snapped and Broken

**Six hours and 5,332 words later, here is chapter five, probably the most emotional climax-ish chapter I have written to date. There is major violence in this chapter, just a as a warning. I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

* * *

Elsa awoke the next morning to a throbbing headache, an upset stomach, an extreme urge to stay in bed for the rest of the day, and her servant Kai rapping at her door like the world was ending.

"My lady! I beg you, you must get up!"

A groan was the Queen's only reply as she buried tighter into the warmth of the covers, trying to block out all light from seeping between the cracks. She felt like death – and it was the night after her wedding as well. She wanted to go cuddle with Hans some more before she got anything pertaining to her royal duties done, especially this early in the morning…

"My lady, it is nearly noon and you have a dispute to manage at the top of the hour!"

"Dis… dispute…?" Elsa mumbled, still in half-sleep. Her mind was as foggy as a cloudy day, her limbs felt like mush, and there was no way she was getting out of bed for something as silly as a—

"Dispute!" The queen suddenly snapped awake, flinging the covers off and shoving on her nightdress, which was crumpled and dirty from a night on the floor. Just because she had gotten married yesterday and fell into bed completely intoxicated didn't meant all her queenly duties stopped. What a way to begin her new unified reign. "I completely forgot! And it's almost noon?! What about everything else I had to get done? I have a trading law to pass, a midautumn ball to plan…"

She scrambled over to the closet, throwing her hair into a semblance of a braid while scanning her closet for a jade green dress – she thanked her lucky stars that all of her gowns had been moved into the master site overnight as Kai continued, his frantic voice muffled from behind the door.

"Don't you worry about that, my queen; His Majesty has already gotten all of your morning duties completed, despite how tired he was from the previous night… he was up bright and early at seven, saying he'd get whatever he needed to get done to let you catch up on rest—"

"Did he pass the law with the Western Kingdom? Please tell me he did." Elsa interrupted, nearly falling over as she shimmied into the slightly-too-small dress, her frenzied thoughts barely registering the absence of the king in her room. She'd have to remember to thank Hans later, but now was not the time for her to hear a gracious speech about her husband – she was late, and a queen was never supposed to be late. This hearing she had today was important; the farmer had been on the waiting list for months, and it would be extremely rude of her to keep him waiting even longer.

"Yes, the law was passed without issue."

Shoving her feet into her flat shoes, Elsa grabbed her crown from the nearby vanity without looking and half-sprinted, half-ran toward the door of the room, opening it in a flash, glancing at Kai's surprised, chubby face below her before shoving past him and marathoning down the hallway toward the throne room. The faster she went, the better. She and Hans were supposed to be working together now, as a unified monarchy, and the fact that Hans had gotten up without waking her and began their royal duties made her a little upset, even a little angry, even though she was sure than Hans was only thinking in her best interest. With an emotional groan, she pushed her feet farther, hiking up her dress so she could cover ground quicker. There was no need to think about it now – the morning was over._ Might as well focus on the day to come._

"My lady!" Kai called after her, squeakily. "I have breakfast for—"

"Thank you Kai I'm sorry but I don't have time to eat_ please_ have something prepared for lunch thank you!"

With a slap of her crown on her head, and her body slowly fatiguing, Elsa thought, _What a way to start the day._

* * *

"An' I told this young 'un here, 'Git off my land!' but he just kept right on cuttin' and choppin' down them pesty weeds, as if he didn't even hear me, like he can't respect his elders—"

"But it's not even his land anymore, Your Majesties. He sold it to me, but this old geezer has the memory of a fruit fly!"

"The memory of a-a-a—a wha'? You say tha' again, you say it one more time!"

Elsa inwardly groaned as she glared down at the two men from her wooden-and-velvet throne, old and young, bickering at each other like an old married couple, but she managed to put on a regal farce. The old man, who, she admitted, was smelly and needed a new pair of overalls, had gone through the same old story about three times now – he'd seen the young farmer cutting down weeds on his land over by the mountains, and that it was a crime of trespassing, but the young man repeatedly announced his claim that the land had been sold to him by the elder. They were going in circles, and getting nowhere, and Elsa was tired and hungry and she wanted out.

She looked over at Hans, sitting regally next to her, her father's crown on his head and his gaze intent at the troublemakers before them. He hadn't said a word when she entered the throne room late, the case at hand having just begun – he only gave her a small, yet mysterious smile as she apologized for her lateness and took her seat. He still had a trace of that smile now – _that beautiful, radiant smile_ – as he held up a hand to stop the two from arguing.

The sudden silence snapped Elsa back from her reverie. _Do not get distracted, Elsa. You are a queen, you have to be regal, poised, and always at attention… though that's relatively hard with Hans at my side… and what happened last night…_

A blush, unbidden, rose onto her face as Hans spoke. "Gentlemen, please. Not so loud in front of your king… and queen."

"Yes, Your Majesty," came the younger man's voice with a bow, while the elder only managed a grunt.

As if it would make up for her unpunctuality, Elsa tried to mediate the situation without starting another argument. "You, young man… Jakob, is it?" Elsa said slowly, briefly checking the case's few papers at her side, catching the old man's name – Morten – as well.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you have any proof that your elder Morten sold his land to you? Any documents, transactions, contracts…?"

"Um." Jakob wrung his hands together nervously, not looking Elsa in the eye. "N-No, ma'am. I don't. But he really did sell it to me!" He refuted quickly, an outcry from Morten following.

"He's a-lyin', Miss Elsa! He's—"

"I'm not speaking to you at the moment, Morten. Silence." Elsa cut him off, her motherly gaze landing on Jakob's terrified face. The boy was not much younger than her, no more than seventeen, and surely they could work out a compromise – call in some witnesses, maybe? "Now, Jakob, do you have any—"

"This case is settled. Jakob Olsen, you will pay one-thousand kroner to pay for the damages you have inflicted on Mister Morten Berg. And we will check if you have done so – you must send us the monetary statement within two weeks of payment. You both are dismissed."

The voice was Hans'. Elsa looked at him sharply, her brow furrowing. "I'm sorry, Hans," she whispered, "But I'm trying to –"

"Quiet, Elsa."

_Wait, what?_

As the old man ran whooping and hollering out of the room, with Jakob following solemnly behind him, Elsa stepped down from the throne in near unison with Hans, but she stalked out the room before him, her face an angry red blush. She couldn't believe he had just done that! He obviously could have seen that she was trying to work in Jakob's favor, as he was only a child, but Hans had stomped that all into the dust.

_He's being a harder ruler than I expected. Maybe it's just the wine from last night wearing off… I'm sure of it. I needn't worry…_

She stood in the hallway for a moment while she waited for Hans to come out of the throne room, her nerves agitated slightly. When he finally did exit, the door slamming behind him shaking the frame, she couldn't help but question his actions. She breathed out shakily to calm herself. _Conceal. Don't feel._

"Hans, thank you for… for getting my duties done this morning. I appreciate it… but you really should have let me handle that case back there. I was doing fine by mys—"

"Oh, Elsa, Elsa, Elsa." Hans chuckled, shook his head, and leaned against the wall with a snarky smile that Elsa had never seen on her husband's face before. "Just who do you think you are, someone above me? _I'm_ the king. I'm in control, not you."

The queen, stunned into silence for a moment, scoffed at this remark. "Hans, you're not the reigning king. You're king _consort_. That means –"

"I know what it means; it means that you, little miss, do all the work, while I sit back and charm everyone with my looks. Am I right?" He raised an eyebrow at her, expectant of her answer.

Elsa swallowed thickly, unsure where he was taking this conversation. "Well – well, somewhat, not really, I mean –"

"Somewhat? Hah. That's all going to change, love." His eyes alight with a hunger Elsa couldn't recognize, Hans took Elsa by the waist and held her tightly there, so tightly that Elsa winced with pain.

"Let go, Hans." She said flatly, biting her lip, but staring him strongly in the eyes.

"No. I'm not going to let you run away, little snow bird. You're going to stay right here and listen to every word I say – no interruptions, no suggestions, no _struggling_."

Elsa was silent, letting her gaze avert. He didn't have to be so… forceful to get her to listen, she could have stood right where she was and heard everything he had to say. But she let him talk anyway. She could feel the bruises rising on her lower back even as he spoke.

"From here on out, darling, I'm in charge. I make the laws, I rule the cases, I speak at ceremonies. And you won't say a word to object me. It'll be…" He looked up thoughtfully, with a sigh, "A little role switch. I'll be the reigning king, and you my obsequious consort." The smile returned, though more menacing than before. "It's that simple, Elsa. And then, I can have the life I've always wanted… that of a true ruler. And you can sit back and relax… watching your own country flourish under my reign and my reign alone."

A pause, and Elsa took this chance to place her hands on his quickly, giving him a touch of frostbite. He yelped and she jumped away from him, barely noticing that neither of them was wearing gloves. "I don't understand," she said, half lying. She did understand, but she couldn't understand why it was coming from him. "We're in this together, Hans. We said our vows, we exchanged rings. You can't just shut me up like some prisoner to your will!"

"Why can't I? _I'm_ the king, the man in this relationship. I hold all the power, not you." He said this matter of factly, letting his fire wash away his frostbite wounds with a smirk. "No matter what the papers say, I'm always a step above you."

Beginning to grow angry, Elsa opened her mouth to talk but Hans continued monologuing. "Did you really think I married you because I loved you, Elsa?"

The wave of anger quickly fell into shock at the impact of Hans' words set it. _He loves me. Doesn't he? _"Don't… don't you love me…?"

He barked a laugh, brushing away his reddish bangs from his eyes with the back of his hand. "How childish you are, Elsa, how naïve! You look at me, with those trembling lips and widened eyes, and I look back at you, shaking my head. How could I ever love a woman as cowardly and broken as you?"

He smiled at her again, his perfect teeth gleaming, and Elsa almost – almost – believed he was joking with her. But his eyes, mad with power, didn't match the grin that she saw. She felt the tears run down her face, and her thoughts became a jumbled mess of emotions as the air turned freezing cold and sad snow fell from the ceiling.

_Cowardly. Broken._

…_the last five months…_

_Was it all just a lie?_

"…You're kidding with me, Hans. Right?"

The queen stood immobile, silently crying, searching Hans' face through her teary vision for something, some sign, that this was a joke, that they were still a happy, joyous couple that would bring the greatest reign of all to Arendelle—

- but all she saw was the gaze of a man who cared for no-one but himself.

"I am the thirteenth of thirteen princes, the runt of the litter, the outcast with fire running in his veins. And the way things were going, there was no way I was ever going to get close to ruling a kingdom… unless I married into a royal line. And who better to cling to than the girl who loved me from her childhood Christmas party – Elsa of Arendelle."

The light flurry began to become a whirling blizzard as Elsa's emotions heightened. She couldn't believe that the prince from her youth that she had come to love and marry had grown up to become such a despicable, narcissistic, heartless man that was going to take everything away from her, twist it and turn it into a product of his own sick mind. The kingdom would 'flourish', he said, but at what cost? Her life? The lives of those who stood against him?

…_I won't let him do this. _

"…You lied to me. I thought we had something special – our powers that made us different. I thought that these differences made us… the perfect match… I thought you really _cared_ for me!"

He gazed at her a moment through the mild storm, as if contemplating his answer. "Oh, Elsa, I do care for you. I'll keep you alive, if that's what you're asking. This kingdom just won't be 'yours' anymore. Actually, you should be thanking me… I just took a huge load off your shoulders, ruling a kingdom. You just have to play by my laws, don't breathe a word to anyone about this, and everything will be just fine…"

Elsa felt ready to scream, throw herself at him and say no, no, this wasn't going to happen, but he soon had his lips on hers and she surrendered; the storm fell away into piles of snow in the hallway and her anger subsided as she grabbed hold of him tightly, kissing back, breathing in the sweet smoky smell of his breath.

_I love you. I love you I love you I love you I love you._

Her mind was still reeling, drunk on the wine of his lips, as he pulled away with a soft smile, and everything felt right in the world again, if only for a moment.

"…Do we have an understanding, Elsa?"

She almost breathed out a 'yes', ready to throw her arms back around him so they could kiss again, and she'd fall into the dream she dreamed when she was with him, and everything would be fine, perfectly fine, nothing would happen, everything would be alright.

She almost breathed out a 'yes'.

But the sudden pain in her lower back from his earlier tight grip snapped her back to reality.

"No. No, no, no, no!" She backed away from him, holding her hands defensively at her side, her temper flaring and the storm beginning to pick up again. "No. I will not let you make me into a docile, mindless child. I will not let you strip my kingdom away from me, I will not let you make every decision for my people, I will _not_ –"

The next thing Elsa knew she was on the floor, her ribs hurting, her cheek feeling as if it was on fire.

…_He slapped me._

His rough hand, hot and steamy from the use of his power, grabbed Elsa by the chin and wrenched her head around so that she was forced to look into his sickening green eyes, cringe at his cracked, dry lips.

"I said," he repeated in a deadly whisper, "Do we have an understanding, Elsa?"

In answer, she spat in his face. This proved to be fatal, as she felt his boot meet her stomach and her body slammed against the wall with a thump. She moaned in agony, gritting her teeth as he hands wrapped around her now sore stomach. She felt bile rise in the back of her throat and she saw her wedding dinner again, coughing and sputtering soon after, her sudden hatred for Hans growing as she lay on the floor, weak and defeated.

"Now, I'm going to ask one more time." Hans' voice came from above her now. "Do we have an understanding?"

She made a noise of assent, feebly. This must have been a decent answer for her husband, as he only said, "Glad to hear it," and walked away, leaving Elsa wan and sickened by the smell of her own vomit and the realization of Hans' betrayal.

_I really thought he loved me… I guess I deserve this for being so naïve, cowardly… and broken…_

The tears came. They flowed and flowed down her ruddy cheeks, for what seemed like hours, until finally a servant came down the hallway where she was drowning in her own misery and helped her back to her and Hans' room for a bath and some hot tea.

And when she was asked what happened, for the sake of Hans' words, she told a very convincing lie about some bad fish and a trip down the front staircase.

* * *

It wasn't long before Hans' plan was in full force. He would get up earlier than Elsa every day, without fail, to get to her documents, papers, and general morning duties before she did. The servants passed this off as a nice gesture on Hans' part; however, Elsa found most mornings that it wasn't that she didn't want to wake up, she simply couldn't – she would sleep until well past noon even though she would go to bed right after dinner.

She it only took a month of afternoon lethargy to get Elsa to realize Hans was drugging her., sneaking sleeping powders into her dinner without her notice. After that she took her meal much earlier, and alone, though she was so afraid of bumping into Hans in the mornings that she would sleep into the afternoon anyway.

It only got worse from there. Hans' more aggressive inclinations toward Elsa when they went to bed together prompted the queen to, one night when she was feeling particularly brave, go back to her old room and go to sleep alone. To her mild surprise, Hans didn't pursue her, drag her back to their room and make her sleep with him – that night, she heard him get up and go back to his old room as well. Elsa assumed this was probably for the sake of keeping the peace, because questions would be asked if he tried to break down Elsa's door to get after her. And for that, she was grateful. One less thing she had to worry about with Hans.

However, this new separation only let Hans take up more power. Servants no long had to address Elsa, if they wanted to, for any concerns they might have or any issues that might have come up. If they wanted to go to Hans, they could, without having to involve the queen in anything – and that was exactly what happened. Within six months of that first aggressive encounter with Hans did he have full control over the running of the castle – servants would pass right by Elsa's room, only stopping if she opened her door and asked them for something; balls would be held without Elsa's knowledge; she would hear rumours floating around the hallways of myriad new bills Hans had just passed.

Queen Elsa of Arendelle had faded into the background; King Hans had torn right through and did exactly what he said he would do – strip her kingdom from her.

And all because Elsa was too afraid to stand up for herself. The darkness that had consumed her for so many years, briefly lifted with Hans' return, crashed down on her again, leaving her in her room for hours on end, snow and frost blanketing every visible object, the room frigid with Elsa's grief over the loss of her love and the loss of her kingdom.

She figured, if she would just die right then, nobody would even notice.

* * *

One miserable night, Elsa jolted awake to screams not her own.

Months of isolation had made Elsa apathetic, so at first she, hearing the noise, buried tighter under the covers in her corner-placed bed. What could she, the lost queen of Arendelle, do to help any poor soul out there who needed help?

It was only when she recognized the scream did her heart rate pick up for the first time in half a year.

_Anna._

She flung herself out of bed, messy braid and all, her nightdress a wrinkled mess, through the blizzard that was her room and out into the hallway, the night from the windows at her back, chasing her like an unholy specter. She followed the screams down into the far reaches of the hall, where Hans's room was located and the first thing she did was tug at the door handle, locked tightly as possible, as so to keep any intruders out. Anna's screams kept up in agonizing intensity though, and she could hear Hans' aggressive groans through the door, as if he were trying to hold her down, and that kept Elsa going, kept her feet kicking at the wood and her hands slamming at the frame.

"HANS!" She screamed, frost chilling the door with each pound. "Hans! My sister's in there, I can hear her, you let her go, you let her go _right now_!"

No answer from behind the barrier. Elsa exhaled viciously, turning to drastic measures to break down the door. Gathering all the ice she possibly could into her hands, with a violent scream, she flung the mass of her power at the door, blowing it down with a chill that exploded into the room. Her gaze immediately caught her sister's – her eyes were clouded with lack of oxygen, and her skin pale and bloodless, as Hans gripped tighter and tighter at her sister's neck, kneeing her in the stomach to the wall like she could break free at a moment's notice.

"Elsa…" Anna stuttered, her voice weak. "H-help me…"

A feeble cry for help from her sister, who hadn't said a word to her in a year, was all Elsa needed to throw herself at Hans will a rallying cry. He grunted as he released Anna, both he and Elsa falling backward with a cracking thunk on the splintered floor. She started hitting him, ice sprawling across his skin like a roaring river, her anger all concentrated on knocking him unconscious, making him bleed. Hans was roaring, trying to throw fire at Elsa to get her to stop, but the queen wasn't giving him any grief, any mercy – months of pent up anger made her attacks relentless.

"Elsa… Elsa, stop… please…" Came Anna's feeble voice from behind her. "Stop… Let him kill me…"

"No, Anna!" Elsa turned for a mere second, seeing Anna crumpled in the corner by the door, her eyes wide with fear – Elsa knew from what, but she couldn't think of that right now. "I won't let him treat you this way, after everything he did to me—"

"You want to die, wench?! You want me to kill you?! My pleasure!" Hans shrieked, using Elsa's brief distraction to shove the queen off of him. She sailed into the wall, crashing into the wardrobe, everything in her body hurting, but when she opened her eyes and saw that Hans was going after Anna, not her, her defense mechanism kicked in again as she flung herself between them, arms spread wide.

"STOP!"

And, shockingly, he stopped, the fire he had ready to throw at Anna stopping just short of Elsa's face. He lowered his hands, his face an angry, sweaty mess.

"Elsa. Move."

"I WILL NOT!" She shrieked, a storm picking up in the room due to her anger. No matter what Hans ever did to her, once he got to her sister, that was the final straw. "Anna hasn't done anything to you, not a single thing! Yes, she may not have fancied you like I did, but that doesn't give you ay excuse to try and –"

"Look at me, Elsa!"

Riled by anger, Elsa found herself very compliant; so she turned at Anna's voice, looking her shaking, standing, mussed-hair sister up and down. Finally her eyes caught it – the knife gripped in Anna's right hand.

_She wouldn't. She wouldn't dare._

_Try and kill Hans._

"No, Anna…" Elsa whispered in a moan. Her docile sister, accepting and sweet, trying to kill the man who had destroyed Elsa's life? It had never crossed Elsa's mind, but, in hindsight, she could see the signs. Anna wasn't at the wedding. She was quiet, reticent, always in her room. The way she had, very calmly and scarily, accepted she and Hans' union – all of that wasn't normal. And it had driven Anna too far.

"I lied that day," Anna admitted, bursting into tears. "I told myself was okay with you being with Hans, but I wasn't. Deep, deep down inside, I just wanted my sister back. I could feel myself, everyday, getting angrier and angrier, filled with hatred for Hans – and when I saw how sad and tired you were for the months after your marriage, that was the catalyst for me. I had to do something. To save you from the pain he had dealt you. So I planned… to kill…" Anna couldn't even finish her sentence before breaking down, crumpling into a little ball on the floor. Elsa moved to console her, but Hans' tired voice pierced her ears.

"Elsa, I can't believe you would actually take her side."

The snow queen tensed, her hands balling into fists. _He's manipulating you, Elsa. Don't listen, don't listen…_

"That you would take the side of a traitor. She tried to kill her own king! That's treason, Elsa. If you take her side I can have both you and her committed to life in the dungeons."

She could feel it; two warring sides of her heart clashing at his words. Her protection over her sister, her lingering love for Hans.

Who did she care for more?

"And you wouldn't take her side, would you, Elsa? Because queens condemn treason. Because she never liked me in the first place. And most importantly…"

_Do. Not. Listen. To . Him._

"…it's because you still love me… right, Elsie?"

She snapped.

_I love you I hate you I hate you I love you WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? CAN'T YOU SEE I CAN'T CHOOSE BETWEEN THE BOTH OF YOU CAN'T YOU SEE CAN'T YOU SEE?!_

_...Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show._

She heard her father's voice in her head, as clear as she had all those years ago, as the raging ice storm she created began to subside. Killing him would get her nowhere – only put her as low and despicable as Hans was. And her love for him – after all the tortures she had endured because of him, how could she still love him? How? When her sister, he own flesh and blood, was crying her heart out right in front of her? The sister she had shut out for so long?

Which person could she learn to love again?

A single tear, frozen as soon as it touched her cheek, trickled down her face.

She had snapped, in reality, long, long ago.

But she was beginning to heal.

Only now did she turn and look at him, see his expectant face and his open arms, and for a moment she saw the boy in the corner with the sad green eyes.

But only a moment.

Before the beast he had become broke through her illusion, and she found the courage to speak.

"No, Hans. I don't."

And very slowly, his expression grew dark, his mouth turned up into a snarl, and the room grew warm with the fire emanating from his hands.

"Well, Elsa. It looks like… now I'll have to kill you both."

Quick as a whip, Hans was throwing fireballs at Elsa, and Elsa went just as quickly defensive. She screamed for Anna to get up to hide behind her, and she was throwing up ice walls and sending out icy blasts to counteract the vicious monster that had revealed itself to them. But Hans, in his anger, had more fire power than she had expected, and it seemed with each blast, the less and less her ice was a match for his fire, and there came a point where she could not even get a single shard to touch him – he was so hot, the ice melted before impact.

"Elsa, Elsa, watch out!" She heard Anna screaming, as the scalding blasts grew bigger, and the fire got closer and closer to them and Elsa threw up one final ice wall as if that was the act that would save them from peril –

As the fire drew nearer, the ice melted with a watery crash—

And the flames struck Elsa right in her heart.

Barely even having a second to gasp, backwards she tumbled, taking Anna with her. As she lay there in her sister's arms, everything inside her was burning, so hot, so hot, so hot. She could still feel the ice in her veins, but only just; she felt as if she were melting from the center outward, the fire already starting to spread through her chest.

"Elsa… You're okay, Elsa, I got you…"

_You're okay, Anna, I got you…_

The memory came and went, of holding her baby sister Anna in her arms while the redhead lay limp, unmoving, and cold from her own ice. Elsa slowly opened the eyes she did not realize she had closed; not surprisingly, a streak of her ice-white hair had turned a chocolate brown in reaction to the fire Hans had attacked her with. The queen managed a feeble laugh that soon mixed with Hans' as he came closer, towering over the girls like a mountain.

"Oooh, did I get your heart?" He said in mock sympathy. "So sorry. I remember when I struck my brother Jorgen like I did you. He barely lasted the week." He laughed, a wicked sound that made Elsa's fire burn even hotter.

"Didn't last the week?! Hans, how could you?!" Anna shouted, as she soothingly rubbed her elder's sister's feverish forehead.

"I hated him. Just like I hate Elsa, for trying to defy me."

If Anna said anything in reply, Elsa didn't hear it. She was tired from exerting her powers, lack of sleep, and the fire spreading throughout her, hotter by the minute, and even if she thought she might have heard Anna warn her against it, she fell unconscious in her sister's arms.

* * *

**Aaaaand cliffhanger. Sort of. :) I hope I didn't make anyone cry too hard...**

**Reviews are appreciated and Happy New Year to all my readers!**

**~Anais**


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